The Calvary Christ can be divided into two halves. In the first four chapters the author, a Jesuit from the Gregorian University at Rome, studies the cross as a historical event rather than a theological theory. His aim is to break free from the ‘cloud of stale words’ which covers Calvary and to penetrate beyond the familiar and the conventional to ‘find and fashion ways of reflecting on the crucifixion which can let it speak to us again with new power’ (p. ix). Judged by this aim the book is largely successful. The author compares Jesus with other great figures who have laid down their lives, considers the ways in which Jesus could have avoided the cross, apportions the responsibility for the crucifixion to Judas, the Sanhedrin and Pilate, and discusses the relative roles of God, men and Jesus himself in the crucifixion. This helps to focus the reader’s attention on the actual event of the cross and to remind him that it is not just a theological topic. While I found these chapters profitable, they have little new to offer and are not of the quality of, say, Martin Hengel’s Crucifixion or Jürgen Moltmann’s The Crucified God.

In the reamaining two chapters the emphasis shifts to the theology of the cross. This is less valuable than the first part. The ground covered is familiar and the author reaches unsatisfactory conclusions after inadequate discussion of the evidence. He rejects views of the cross as propitiatory, penal, retributive or in any way connected with God’s anger. But these conclusions are based on an unhelpfully brief examination of the biblical data and the doctrines attacked bear only a superficial resemblance to the positions actually held by those who maintain them. The author concludes that although the atonement is primarily subjective (man returning to God) there is also a secondary objective element in that Christ makes reparation for all as their representative, though not their substitute.

I enjoyed reading the book but I would not rate it as priority reading for the theological student.

---